Exploring Early Childhood Care and Education

June 27, 2017 – Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is one of the many diverse academic programs offered at Southeastern Technical College (STC). This program is offered at both the Vidalia and Swainsboro campuses.

The Early Childhood Care and Education Program is a sequence of courses designed to prepare students for a variety of careers in the education field. This program emphasizes a combination of early childhood care, education theory, practical application, and general core competencies necessary for successful employment. It goes even deeper to overview child psychology, childhood behavior and language. ECCE offers students a chance to change the lives of developing children by molding them into competent and successful people.

Kay Wilson, Swainsboro’s Early Childhood Care and Education Instructor, works hard to provide her students with the best educational experience that STC can offer. Kay not only teaches in a traditional classroom but also offers students online classes via BlackBoard and the opportunity to use Skype to attend her lectures.

“You do what you have to do for your students,” states Wilson. “I try to make sure all my students receive the same education.”

To say “traditional classroom” would be an understatement when describing her classroom setting. Her classroom is designed to feel like an actual child care facility. There are “centers” with designated learning objectives, a work room, and art projects decorating the already colorful walls. This life-like environment acclimates students for their future career endeavors.

Kay keeps her students well versed in their field by assigning hands-on projects such as: designing functional playground structures or creating dioramas of various classroom settings. Not only does this teach students organizational and creativity skills, but it also gives students a feel for ways to educate younger students with art and physical activity.

Because Kay provides a thorough education with a large amount of hands-on experience, she has had a lot of success through her program. Many students go on to earn their degree in the program and several of her students are currently working at local child care facilities.
Though this program may seem to be limited to only those that pursue a career in Childhood Education, it also offers opportunities for those that may want to go into fields like healthcare, public service, or counseling.

For more information on Early Childhood Education, visit www.southeasterntech.edu or call 912-538-3100 or 478-289-2200.